Briatore warned Alonso that Hamilton was in Dennis' "pocket"
Flavio Briatore says he warned Fernando Alonso against going to McLaren in 2007 because he believed Lewis Hamilton was in the "pocket" of team boss Ron Dennis.
The flamboyant Italian, who was boss at Renault at the time as well as Alonso's manager, says he was sceptical from the off about the situation his driver would find himself in.
Speaking to F1's Beyond the Grid podcast, Briatore said: "He went to McLaren and this I was not happy [with] because this was not Schumi to go to Ferrari. This was Fernando to go to McLaren, and for Fernando, McLaren was never in [his] dream.
"Especially I tell him: you have the new guy, and the new guy was Lewis Hamilton, and the new guy is in the pocket of Ron Dennis, like you with me! And I promise you, you [will] have the fighting and the guy is protected by Ron Dennis."
Briatore said that Alonso was aware of the reservations, but felt that his speed would be enough to overcome any potential politics.
Asked about how Alonso countered his concerns, Briatore replied: "No, no, no. I am quicker. But the point is nobody including Ron Dennis understood how quick was Lewis Hamilton.
"Because if Ron Dennis understands how quick was Hamilton, he [would] not spend the amount of money he paid Fernando. If I know in my house I have a driver so quick, why do I need another one? And it was a big fight."
Briatore said that as the relationship between Ron Dennis and Alonso collapsed in 2007, he chose not to interfere.
"Ron Dennis did everything by himself, you don't need to help him," he said. "I was just watching and he did everything.
"I just watched. I know what happened. After two races when you see the change of tyres was done first by Hamilton and second by Alonso it was enough, because I knew Fernando..."
Alonso is currently eyeing a return to F1, and Briatore has no doubts the two-time champion can succeed if he is given the chance of a top seat in 2021.
"100%. He is a Rottweiler. 100%," he said. "We will see. I don't know. A lot of contracts expire and people move up and down, so we will see
"I would like to see Fernando in one team that has 50% of the possibility where you start the race to win the race. [But] it's not so many [teams]. You have Mercedes, you have Ferrari, you have Red Bull."
Share Or Save This Story
Brundle awarded OBE in King’s New Year’s honours
The new rules dilemma that will define the 2025 F1 season
Verstappen issues Red Bull title warning in push for RB21 progress
Fernando Alonso and Liam Lawson will start F1 Italian GP from pitlane
Fernando Alonso reveals emotional helmet tribute for Italian Grand Prix
How Fernando Alonso scored ninth at Zandvoort - and how Alex Albon lost a similar payday
How McLaren left itself exposed at the F1 Italian Grand Prix
Oscar Piastri on Monza 2025 team orders: "I wouldn’t change how I responded"
What next after Briatore’s explosive McLaren rant?
Lewis Hamilton says Ferrari has left it "too late" to back him in F1 title fight
Audi lodges intention to appeal against Yuki Tsunoda's Italian GP verdict
Winners and losers from F1's memorable Italian Grand Prix
Fred Vasseur admits Ferrari drivers' clash in Italian GP “not good for the team”
Why Kimi Antonelli's Italian GP triumph over George Russell felt like a title-defining moment
Lewis Hamilton and Charles Leclerc explain what went wrong for Ferrari in Italian GP qualifying
What makes Lewis Hamilton's 'barn find' Ferrari F40 so important
Explaining the complicated art of F1 braking
Subscribe and access Motorsport.com with your ad-blocker.
From Formula 1 to MotoGP we report straight from the paddock because we love our sport, just like you. In order to keep delivering our expert journalism, our website uses advertising. Still, we want to give you the opportunity to enjoy an ad-free and tracker-free website and to continue using your adblocker.
Top Comments